MATCHWATCH : Mansfield Town (h)

[St Pauli]

The adults are talking jimmy, go back to throwing your toys out of your pram

Great beef! Carry on lads!

I think the child is yourself. Grow up

I cba to go back to your quotes but you did say relegation was a good thing. Just telling you it isn't

Are you referring to me here Jimmy?

I don’t want to be presumptuous but I feel like you’re talking absolutely b/llocks based on your overwhelming ignorance.

[Extended-Phenotype]

Hm. I still don’t like Wing playing sweeper. Yes, he can quarterback fr there, but I think he could do even more further forward with a bit of freedom.

Dorset, Burns, Jacob, Lane all poor. Doyle looked good first half, but faded. Kelvin had the impact of a cabbage when subbed on. People keep banging on about Noel’s tactics but as far as I can tell it’s player quality being patchy all over the pitch that really lets us down.

We can play some really good football at times. If you took our best moments and their best moments, we’d look leagues apart. But make a lowlights reel and some of our players look like randos who have won the opportunity to play for us in a raffle.

Positives: maybe consistency will come. Marriott is an outstanding signing, and Ritchie, Kyeweraa, Williams and Doyle are pretty good. Lane should get better, and perhaps O’Conner will be a godsend. Get em all together in a team with Wing, Savage and Pereira and that’s not half bad.

Negatives: our injury record might mean that never happens.

[Hound]

I wouldn’t say our best bits are any better than the best bits of other teams play though.

How many games this year have we genuinely been the better side in a game? I’m struggling to name any

[Gunny Fishcake]

Absolute crap , Mansfield should have buried us, we look devoid of any confidence and ideas. With Wing dropping so deep this leaves a massive hole in the midfield which our opponents exploit.

We're simply treading water at the moment , not going to drown but going nowhere

It's going to be a very long boring season unless things quickly change which under the current management is not going to happen.

With the stadium being like a giant soulless fridge , it was certainly an afternoon to forget

[leon]

Dreadful stuff yet again.

Football devoid of any imagination or flair. Or sense of purpose. Whatever Hunt does before kick off or the second half he should stop. They look entirely demotivated.

[Royal Ginger]

I think Lane has a spark but is played too high and central, and has no faith in the headless chicken that is Jacob running around behind him.

Ahmed won’t take anyone on which is frustrating.

Burns has his balls-up but was so busy distributing, he’a getting better.

Savage had flashes of his old self.

Richie’s an angry little man.

It’s all so slow and pointless. Needs stretching a bit.

Old bloke at the end of my row wouldn’t shut up loudly whinging the whole game making it even more tortuous.

[leon]

I think Lane has a spark but is played too high and central, and has no faith in the headless chicken that is Jacob running around behind him.

Ahmed won’t take anyone on which is frustrating.

Burns has his balls-up but was so busy distributing, he’a getting better.

Savage had flashes of his old self.

Richie’s an angry little man.

It’s all so slow and pointless. Needs stretching a bit.

Old bloke at the end of my row wouldn’t shut up loudly whinging the whole game making it even more tortuous.

Jacob looks like he's been told to play wherever he fancies. He's all over the shop.

[yuomi]

We're still in this bewildering situation where Fraser's strongest position/role is the one we're currently shoehorning our most creative player in to. Without Wing joining attacks we look disjointed and devoid of ideas, and he can't seem to help a bunch of defenders with a collective kink for putting each other in trouble.

I really just want to see one 90 minutes that shows me we're improving, but that was definitely wasn't on show today. Mansfield should have had four or five.

[ILoveMoonPig]

We did actually create a couple of chances today, which does show some improvement. It's disappointing that we didn't convert many, but we probably created more opportunities than I've seen is create in any other game this season.

It's frustrating how slow we attack though. Mansfield looked threatening every time they went forward because they attacked with pace, especially down the channels.

We seem to get the ball right up to the final third and then spend a few minutes passing sideways and backwards, giving the opposition plenty of time to get bodies back. Then we can't break through, lose possession and everyone has to charge back up the field. The number of shots and crosses we had blocked was disappointing.

I felt Doyle definitely added some flair to our attack, he seems to be settling in well. I can't fault any particular individual, but we just don't seem to move forward fast enough.

[tidus_mi2]

I think people are exaggerating how "good" Mansfield were because a win was expected, we gifted them a goal with pretty shambolic defending then they didn't really offer much.

[Hound]

I think people are exaggerating how "good" Mansfield were because a win was expected, we gifted them a goal with pretty shambolic defending then they didn't really offer much.

Well they hit the underside of the bar and their striker really messed up getting offside for no real reason in that offside goal

[Snowflake Royal]

Oh well. A tale of two moments really. One goal completely against the run of play that's a catalogue of errors and a missed open goal. Either of those slightly different and we probably win that. Salvaged the draw at least. Really need those defenders back, and to see more from the wide players and AMs.

Hunt really doesn't rate Elliot does he?
I would have thought he would come on for Doyle who is yet another player who flatters to deceive.

Fair play to Marriott-at least we now have 2 options for scoring goals, him and Wing.
So in the league that is 2 wins from 10 which the new owners surely weren't expecting.

He gave him a chance and he didn't play well. He's now giving Doyle a chance, and he's playing ok ish. Certainly more involved than Elliott was in his starts.

Elliott isn't really a player you call on for a goal.

[Snowflake Royal]

I wouldn’t say our best bits are any better than the best bits of other teams play though.

How many games this year have we genuinely been the better side in a game? I’m struggling to name any

I thought we were the better side today. That isn't saying a lot though.

[Snowflake Royal]

I think people are exaggerating how "good" Mansfield were because a win was expected, we gifted them a goal with pretty shambolic defending then they didn't really offer much.

Well they hit the underside of the bar and their striker really messed up getting offside for no real reason in that offside goal

And Lane missed an open goal, Wing whistled one just over and MOM fell over through on goal. The shot that hit the underside of the bar wasn't a great opportunity, it could just as easily have gone miles high and wide, like most of their efforts from range.

We do make teams look tidy in midfield and good running at our defence, but to an extent that's just what happens when a high press fails which it will occasionally do even well played very well. Which we aren't currently doing

[Hound]

I think people are exaggerating how "good" Mansfield were because a win was expected, we gifted them a goal with pretty shambolic defending then they didn't really offer much.

Well they hit the underside of the bar and their striker really messed up getting offside for no real reason in that offside goal

And Lane missed an open goal, Wing whistled one just over and MOM fell over through on goal. The shot that hit the underside of the bar wasn't a great opportunity, it could just as easily have gone miles high and wide, like most of their efforts from range.

We do make teams look tidy in midfield and good running at our defence, but to an extent that's just what happens when a high press fails which it will occasionally do even well played very well. Which we aren't currently doing

Yeah my comment was in response to that Mansfield didn’t offer much. They didn’t offer loads but could have had 3 there

We had as many chances as them certainly. I just thought they were more composed and organised generally. Not by a lot mind you. Looked like 2 low end div1 teams

[Clyde1998]

I'd say our two biggest issue today was caused by conceding early: we typically play too slowly to exploit teams who are out of their shape, allowing them to get back into their shape, and we're not good at breaking sides down.

Mansfield caused us serious problems when they were direct and looked to be progressive with the ball; for much of the game we weren't.

I don't feel there was any consistent intensity in our game until Matt Ritchie came on - that's when we started to cause Mansfield regular problems. As it stands, the sooner Ritchie can get fit enough to start matches, the better.

At least Marriott's in scoring form, as we wouldn't've got a goal today without him or yet another worldie somehow going in.

[windermereROYAL]

Without (I`ve only got a left foot) Lane`s horrendous miss we`d be talking in a far more positive way tonight, not a great performance by any means. so damn frustrating.
One clean sheet in all comps so far.

[windermereROYAL]

I think people are exaggerating how "good" Mansfield were because a win was expected, we gifted them a goal with pretty shambolic defending then they didn't really offer much.

Disagree, the cross was deflected into the path of the goalscorer, there`s little you can do about that.

[Hound]

Our goal was very well worked from Ritchie and Marriott. 2 assists in two for Ritchie in 20 min cameos and obvs 5 in a row for Marriott

[windermereROYAL]

Lane is garbage.

He's done nothing today. I have no idea why he's suddenly out on the left.

Because he`s left footed maybe, any normal player puts that in with his right.